With the many interactive features available to our visitors, we realize that some of you may have problems getting things to work for you. Therefore, we've created this help section to assist you in making the most of your visits to our site. In addition to this page and the Site Search/View Sitemap function, there are also help pages for:

Site Navigation (or Finding Your Way Around The James MacArthur Official Website)

General Questions About This Site (or Why Can't I Find What I'm Looking For?)

If the information below doesn't help you find your way around, try one of the other sections via one of the links above, or you can email us directly with your specific question by clicking here.

Why does my computer freeze when I try to watch video clips on this site?

Chances are your computer is not actually freezing up, especially if you're accessing the site using a dial-up connection. Video clips are, in general, very large files. The length of the clip is not the same as the amount of time it will take to download the file (there is an approximate download time listed on the page for each video; bear in mind there are many factors which can affect the performance of your individual internet connection, so these times are only a best guess). For instance, The Cowboy Movie is a little more than three minutes long, but the file is just over 10 MB in size. Using a dial-up connection at 14.4 kb/sec, it will take more than an hour to download a file that large. A 56 kb/sec modem will do the job faster, but will still take about 15 minutes. Even if you're using cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), or a T1/T3 (backbone) connection (collectively referred to as "broadband" connections) to access the internet, it can still take a minute or two to download a 10MB file. While some browsers (such as Mozilla and Netscape) show a status bar at the bottom of the browser window to indicate that your computer hasn't frozen, it's just busy, browsers like Internet Explorer and those utilized by AmericaOnline (AOL) and Roadrunner (which are actually specialized/proprietary versions of Internet Explorer) do not. Therefore, it does look like your computer isn't doing anything and has frozen. To see if this is the case for you, try accessing one of the shorter clips on the site (like the one from Entertainment Tonight) and give it a good 10 minutes or so to download. If everything works okay, then you're the victim of a slow internet connection. With the ever-growing sophistication of the internet, and the tendency toward larger and larger files, you might want to consider investing in a broadband internet service provider (sometimes referred to as a "high speed connection"). Several cable television companies and internet service providers, such as Earthlink, Comcast, AT&T, Roadrunner, and many others now offer relatively inexpensive high speed connections. If you think DSL might work better for you, or there is no provider in your area offering high speed internet service, contact your local telephone service provider to see if they offer DSL in your area. If you live somewhere that offers none of the above, try contacting DirecTV. They offer both medium-priced satellite television reception and high speed internet service. Lastly, let the cable companies nearest your area and your local telephone company know that you are interested in these services. If they hear from enough specific customers seeking service, they are much more likely to set it up in the near future.

Why do I get an image of a broken piece of film in place of the movie when I try to view a video clip?

This happens for one of two reasons. Either you've stopped the download process before it was completed (probably because you thought your computer or browser had frozen -- see the answer to question one above), or you don't have the right helper extension (called a "browser plug-in") installed in your browser. To view the movies on this site, you need the Apple Quicktime plug-in, available at Apple's website. There are complete instructions at Apple's website for installing the plug-in into whatever browser you're using. However, if you're having trouble downloading the plug-in, installing it in your browser, or getting it to work, please don't hesitate to send us an email. We'd be happy to do our best to help you get things up to speed.

When I try to view a video clip, it plays but there is no sound. What's wrong?

You don't have the most recent version of Apple's Quicktime plug-in installed in your browser. Head on over to Apple's website and download the latest version, following the instructions for how to install it in your browser. If you're still having trouble, drop us an email and we'll do our best to help you out.

Why am I having problems getting one or more of the interactive games to work?

Like the video clips on this site, the interactive games require a special plug-in for your browser called Java. Most newer browsers come equipped with the plug-in automatically, but if you're using an older browser (Netscape 3.0 and prior, Internet Explorer 2.0 and prior, and so on), you may not have the Java plug-in. Your best solution is to upgrade to a newer browser. This site won't be the only place on the internet giving you fits if you're using a very old browser. You'll have a much better time if you upgrade to the latest version of your favorite browser that your computer is capable of running. Every browser listed on this page is available as a free download. Your can find the latest version of Internet Explorer at Microsoft's site; Netscape users will find its latest browser version at the Netscape site; other browsers can be updated by visiting sites for Mozilla (our browser of choice here at the Scrapbook for both its stability and compactness), Opera (a great choice if you're accessing the internet with a hand-held device or cellular telephone), and Lynx (a text-only browser that works well on even the most ancient of computers and is a favorite of those with disabilities). If you're less than thrilled with your current browser, but don't know what else is out there, try Living Internet's Browser Applications page for links to all of the browsers listed above, plus a few more. If you'd rather stick with what you've got, try going to Sun Microsystems Java page and downloading the plug-in. You may or may not be able to get it to work with your browser, depending on its age. If you need help, send us an email and we'll do our best to help out.

My question isn't covered anywhere in these help pages. Now what?

Please send us an email and we'll answer you as quickly as we can (generally, the same day). We'll also publish both your question and its answer here to aid future visitors.